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Sisters Spread Patriotism and Honor, One Flag at a Time
EAST HANOVER - On a quiet street in East Hanover, patriotism found its brightest ambassadors in two sisters, Aliya and Tia Nigro. Armed not with grand speeches or headlines, but with armfuls of small American flags and big hearts, they made their way door to door, offering a symbol of unity and gratitude to each neighbor they met. It started as a simple idea. With Independence Day around the corner, the sisters wanted to do more than watch fireworks light up the sky— they wanted to honor those whose service made those celebrations possible. Inspired by stories of veterans in their own family and community, they decided to bring their neighborhood together in a tapestry of stars and stripes. Each flag handed out proudly flew above the grave of the veteran. “Beneath every flag lies a story of courage; each one is flown in memory of a soul who served with honor,”
Aliya stated. Tia added, “We’re doing this to honor those who served and to celebrate the county we all share.” The reactions were moving—neighbors stepped outside to express thanks and share stories. Before they knew it, the 3,000+ flags handed out made the neighborhood look like a miniature parade route! But more than the flags fluttering in the warm breeze, it was the spirit of community and remembrance that made the day unforgettable. Aliya and Tia didn’t set out to be heroes— they just wanted to make a difference, and in doing so, they reminded everyone that honoring veterans doesn’t always require a monument. Sometimes, it begins with a knock at the door and a simple gift held in young hands. So when Aliya and Tia hand out flags, they’re not just honoring veterans—they’re stitching together a stronger, more connected neighborhood. In a time when unity can feel
scarce, the sisters’ effort is a gentle reminder that small acts of patriotism and kindness can ripple far and wide—one flag, one home, one heart at a time. Tia Nigro is going to be a junior at Hanover Park High School this fall and plans on attending the share time program at Morris County Vocational School of Technology for the Culinary Arts. She chose to do this project to spread more patriotism and unity in our community, as well as show respect for the servicemen and women the flags represent and have had the honor to fly above their final resting place. “It was an honor to have done this, and I am so happy to see how many houses we were unable to get to put their own flags up. Unfortunately, we ran out of flags before we could get the entire neighborhood below Troy Road completed.” Aliya Nigro is entering her senior year at Morris County Vocational School of Technology and will be attending
classes at CCM. She is currently in the Animal Science program and is striving to become a Veterinarian, a dream she has had since she was 3 years old. Aliya had seen her mother provide Veteran flags to her immediate street a couple of years ago but decided it should spread to the connecting streets as well. She and
Boy Scout Maps the Way For Hikers at Turkey Brook Park
BY CHERYL CONWAY STAFF WRITER
WEST ORANGE - Turkey Brook Park in Budd Lake is on the map, attracting those living near and far— And now with its five new kiosks, trail blazers and hikers will have directions, safety tips and useful information to guide them along their way. Aiden Newman, 17, of West Orange, completed this project last month to earn his Eagle Scout merit badge with Troop 6 in West Orange. A member since 2021, Newman has been a Boy Scout since 2015. Led by his Scoutmaster Charles Coxe, Newman had seven scouts aged 15 to 18 help him with his project. He came up with the concept for his project from David Alexander, secretary of the Mt. Olive Twp. Open Space Advisory Board. “My project was to assemble and deliver five trail kiosks for the Mt. Olive Trails Department to use for a new trail system,” explains Newman. “These kiosks could be used to display maps, safety bulletins and helpful information for hikers.” A graduate of West Orange High Schol this past June,
Newman put in 17 hours to complete the project. “I designed the concept with guidance from Mr. Alexander, bought the materials on June 11 and assembled my prototype on July 5,” details Newman. “Members of my Troop, parent leaders, my father and I, then assembled the remaining kiosks on July 13. We completed the final touches, delivered the kiosks, and installed one of them on July 16, completing the project.” With multiple trails that outline and intertwine throughout the area, multiple kiosks are essential to help anyone navigate and find their way. “My project aims to provide the Mt. Olive Trail Department an essential tool for hikers to use while navigating the new trails in Turkey Brook Park,” he explains. “I picked this project because I love hiking and getting outdoors, and I wanted a project related to hiking and woodworking. I hope these kiosks encourage and assist those looking to experience the trails in Turkey Brook Park.” Those who helped Newman with his project included: Neil
Winner from July’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” Contest
AREA - The winners from July’s “Find Hank the Hornet Mascot” are Susan Beth Favata; Florham Park, Anthony F Monticello; East Hanover, Jen Jemas; East Hanover and Lucille Maccario; East Hanover. The ads that “Hank the Hor-
net” were in: Spicy Chef, Ideal Air, Minuteman Car Service, McKean monuments, Hancliffe Home for Funerals and Leaf Filter. Thanks to everyone who enter and congratulations to our winners!
card (4 winners). It is easy to enter. Look through the paper and read the ads and look for “Hank” in the ads. He will be located throughout the paper
neighborhood before running out. Aliya said of the experience, “My heart was full when we saw how many houses put the flags out. It was an amazing experience to have done and to see the result. I truly hope this is just the start of bringing honor and respect for our veterans and our flag.”
Florham Park Rotary Continues Proud Support of the Florham Park Independence Day Parade
Rotary 50/50 Raffle Ticket Tent with Rex Lyon, Bob & Nicki Feid in back row, with Simone Campbell and Betty O’Brien (in front row)
and Eshe Newman (his parents), Charles and Ryan Coxe, Xavier and Johnny Kong, Akira Mura, Luke and JJ DelBello and Brian and Liam Coleman. He spent approximately $800 out of pocket and he hopes to recoup some of those fund through his GoFundMe drive https://www.gofundme. com/f/support-aiden-newmans-eagle-scout-project. “It would be great to have support to finish funding the cost of sourcing the materials and to build any additional kiosks the trail may need this summer,” says Newman. “I also would like to encourage people to experience the trails and see the kiosks in person once they are all installed.” From start to finish, Newman enjoyed the experience on working on this project and hopes its effort and value
stands the test of time. “This project left me feeling accomplished and happy,” says Newman. “My project gave me the opportunity to spend time with my father, get closer to my troopmates, as well as contribute to getting people out to hike, something that I am passionate about.” Looks like his project has mapped him to moving to his final rank as an Eagle Scout. “Aiden is to be commended for planning, supervising and building five Trail Kiosks for our Mt. Olive Open Space trails,” says Alexander. “His leadership and volunteerism set a fine example and his pursuit of becoming an Eagle Scout is greatly admired. We look forward to him achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in the near future.”
Your Chance to Win a $25 Gift Card with the “Find Hank The Hornet Mascot” Contest AREA - Check out our mascot...Hank the Hornet. Look for him in the ads in this issue and enter (no purchase necessary) to win a $25.00 gift
her sister discussed how to do it and put the plan into action. Obtaining the flags from the cemetery, where they once flew over the graves of the military men and women, the sisters created a flyer with instructions and started bundling them for distribution. They were able to hand-distribute well over 3,000 flags to their
in 6 random ads. Then go to https://www.mypaperonline. com/find-contest.html, scroll down and fill out the form to be entered.
Winners will be notified and printed in the next issue.
Rotarians marching with banner - Rich Tierney, Simone Campbell, Peter Nicolas, Doug Buttner
BY PETER NICOLAS GUEST WRITER FLORHAM PARK - The Florham Park Rotary continued its proud support of the Florham Park Independence Day Parade for over 50 summers this year. Marching in the Parade is an enjoyable highlight of the club’s summer, waving to the happy residents lining the parade route as Rotarians carried the Rotary banner through the local streets. Near the Gazebo the Rotary sets up a 50/50 Scholarship raffle ticket tent by the Social Garden in the Family Picnic area. The raffle tickets sold on Independence Day are combined with the club’s other annual fund raisers. Those include the springtime “Taste of Florham Park” at the Vanderbilt Mansion (on the FDU
Florham Campus) and the autumn Halloween Dog Parade and Costume Contest on the Borough Hall Lawn by the Gazebo. The success of these three events has helped the club award $5,000 in scholarships this year to Florham Park students who have demonstrated community involvement. It reinforces Florham Park’s strong tradition of volunteerism and community spirit. Interested in learning more about the world’s oldest service organization and its Florham Park Rotary club? Visit their website at www.FlorhamParkRotary.org, write info@ florhamparkrotary.org , or call Membership Chair George Gregor at (917) 848-0982.